Beside the Lake
by Lily Kalanoa
Summary: Zelgadis is feeling less than welcome when the gang visits a friend of Amelia's and he faces more than one obstacle in his quest while there. But is there something else going on? And what's Xellos up to? ZelXel sort of. shounen ai, fluff.
1. Chapter 1

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: Beside the Lake

**Genre**: Slayers - Drama

**Rating**: K/ PG – PG13

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai

**Pairings**: Xellos/Zelgadis, sort of. Failing Zelgadis/Amelia. Amelia/OC

**Spoilers**: None

**Author** **Notes**: It's so cute! It starts off in some pretty nice angst, but slowly dissolves into adorable fluff. In many Zel/Xel stories, it's always Zelgadis that brushes off the infatuated Amelia, claiming many very believable reasons why they'd never work as a couple. Actually, this is common in any story with Zel paired with someone other than the princess. Anyway, it got me thinking – what if it were the other way around? What if it was Amelia that realized it would never work between them? This is what came of that little plot bunny. I hope you all enjoy!

**A / N 2: **Okay, what the heck? Up for several days, two watchers, but no reviews? What's up with that! This is a cool story people, come on, throw me a bone, please? I didn't attach my standard warning, so I may post anyway, but usually no reviews means I'll take it down. So I changed the summary to try and attract more people and I'll at least post up ch2. But no reviews means you'll never find out how it ends!

-o-o-o-o-o-

The ride into the city is long and hot. Amelia shakes her head slightly, refocusing on what she had been saying. As she opens her mouth again, I let out a sigh. Over the past hour, Amelia had been recounting the wonders of Cellia, but it was obvious to even the least observant that the heat was getting to the girl. Every ten minutes or so, she would grow silent only to pick up again, repeating most of the facts she'd already glossed over.

"It's really a beautiful city."

"With architecture that's simply to die for," Lina mumbles.

"And such pretty fountains!" Gourry intones, not realizing he is repeating the speech ver batum.

"Yes, yes. But the guilds are what they're really proud of. Merchants guilds with such fantastic wares. Everything you could ever want. And sorcerers guilds so plentiful there's practically no magical trinket you can't get."

I start to tune the young princess out.

"But it's the palace that will really impress you all. The queen's a good friend of mine, and she's so nice. There's everything you could want. So much food . . . and beautiful guest rooms . . ."

My head droops toward my chest and my vision blurs slightly. Catching myself, I snap my head back up to look at the road ahead. Amelia has gone quiet again, but no one is complaining. The heat is getting to everyone, myself included.

Amelia shakes her head again. "You'll love the castle. They have the best chefs . . ." For the first time in the last hour, Amelia stops with something other than heat exhaustion. "Lina, I don't feel so good. I think we should stop."

I stare at the princess, feeling slightly betrayed. Why hadn't I suggested that?

Lina sighs. Loudly. "We're less than two hours from the city. I can actually _see_ the castle's towers. I just want to get there and get some food!"

Oh yes, that's why I hadn't suggested we stop. My chin drops towards my chest once more and I find myself staring at the ears of my steed. "Three hours. Lina, she has a point, our horses need the break, even if we don't want to stop."

Gourry pulls his horse to a stop, complying with the suggestion without even thinking about it. "Lina, I'm hungry!" he whines. "I'm thirsty and hot!"

Lina angrily stops her horse and dismounts. "I know! It has to be at least a hundred and ten degrees! Look, Zel," she growls, turning her so far unvented and quickly growing wrath on me. "I know it's hot. I know we're all tired. I know we want to get to town. And I know the horses need to stop and rest. But where," she stalks forward, grabbing double fistfuls of cloak and pulling me off of my mount as well. "Where the _hell_ do you think we're going to get water for them?! We need to get to town in order to get them, or _us,_ anything!"

I gulp slightly and lower my eyes, then look off to the side. Defeated by my silence, Lina releases me. Now that we have stopped, all the horses but Amelia's have settled onto the ground. Even Gourry has enough sense to know they cannot be moved until they have rested some.

Lina growls again. "Fine, as long as we're stuck here, may as well try and get some water. I'll need help with the spell, though." I hold perfectly still. I lower my eyes and roll my shoulders, becoming smaller and less noticeable to the fiery redhead. "Amelia. It's only a small help, but I need a second person to do it."

Escaping notice, I sigh with relief and take a step back. My hands itch for my canteen, but it had been emptied hours ago. The woods we are in are sparse, barely qualifying as a light forest. As a result, there is little shade to be had. Gourry had removed his armor, strapping it securely with the rest of his gear. Lina, likewise, had shed her cape and gloves. Amelia had completely ditched her normal traveling clothes. Instead, she wore a short, dark pink skirt and a flowing yellow blouse. I frown and step further into the sparse shade. I'm still wearing my customary clothing, cape and hood firmly in place. The only notable difference is my mask, bunched around my neck to allow breathing more freely.

"Zelgadis!" I jerk at Lina's harsh voice. Had I zoned out? "The horses are up, we're ready to go!"

I walk forward slowly. Strange, it isn't like me to get so easily lost in my thoughts. But quite some time has passed, I can see the work Lina and Amelia have accomplished, a small font of water bubbling from the soil. The others are already riding off and I have to scramble onto my mount to not be left behind. We've gone nearly two miles before I realize I'd forgotten to refill my canteen.

"Aren't you hot, all bundled up like that?" I flinch at the silky voice. What in all the hells is _he_ doing here? We aren't going anywhere particularly dangerous or noteworthy for magical reasons – no matter what Amelia might say. We aren't currently on any epic quests. The only other time he shows up was when we're about to be attacked by some horrible mazoku. "Oh, no need to worry, Zel-chan. I'm not expecting any trouble, this is a purely social call."

I growl at him. "Stay out of my head, fruitcake."

"Don't be silly, I'm not telepathic. You're just easy to read."

"Social call, huh?" He doesn't reply and I risk a glance at him, not turning my head. I let my eyes wander over his form, floating several feet off the ground to match my height upon the horse. He's dressed in his normal attire and shows absolutely no signs of the heat. Briefly I wonder if it affects him at all, astral being that he is.

"You should drink something." Without warning, he pushes a canteen under my nose. I take it out of reflex and raise it to my lips without thinking. I hesitate, just before the water washes into my mouth. "Come now," comes Xellos' silken voice again, "it's not poisoned or anything."

I lower the canteen and look at him fully. He'd read my mind again, saying nearly exactly the words I'd been silently turning over in my head. With another growl, I throw the canteen to the ground. Xellos frowns, an almost hurt look crossing his face. "Really, Zel-chan, that was uncalled for and rude!" His face suddenly brightens into its customary smile. "Well, if you won't take a drink from my watering hole-" I blush at how perverted that sounded- "I can at least get you to town faster!"

Wondering what he was talking about, I turn to get a better look at him. Slowly, he lowers his staff, jewel end lightly touching my mount's rear end. "Xellos, what-" is all I can manage before the horse rears up suddenly then races at full charge down the path. All I can do is hang on, arms wrapped desperately around the creature's neck as I scream, bug eyed, and wind ruffled.

At this pace, I reach the castle in no time at all, though several of my supplies have been lost along the way. When the horse finally stops, startled by the guards at the gate, my grip finally fails. I manage to get my feet under me before I hit the ground, but my knees give out, sending me into the dirt regardless. One guard is trying to calm my horse, catching at the reigns and stroking its neck gently, but the other two have their weapons trained on me, wary looks on their faces. It's another minute before the others arrive, putting an end to the awkward silence. Amelia flies from her mount, landing in a triumphantly righteous pose between the guards and me, brandishing her family's crest. They spare a couple more nervous stares in my direction before backing off, ushering the princess and her companions through the gates and into the city. I leave my horse with the guard, he is undoubtedly happier there and there is nothing I need that hasn't been lost on the mad trip.

Amelia walks beside me, guiding her own horse towards the palace that would be our first stop. I revel in her presence, willing the cheerful spirit to banish my own dark clouds. "Thanks," I mutter, staring at the ground.

The girl beams at me in response and I feel myself blush even more. "Anything for you, Zelgadis-san! Those poor fools were just startled is all, it had nothing to do with you!"

I feel my cheeks color more, for a different reason this time, and move to pull my mask into place despite the heat. Amelia is the main reason I continue to travel with Lina's group, but sometimes she says the absolute worst thing possible. It was almost better to be in Xellos' usually silent company. I shake my head quickly, chasing away that thought. While it is true that Xellos is almost companionable when he's quiet, but those moments never lasted. Worse, they were usually a set up for some twisted prank. Amelia may be child-like in some ways, but her straightforward nature is infinitely better than that creature.

The palace is enormous and beautiful. The very first corridor we walked through is richly decorated, fine carved marble covering every surface from the vaulted ceiling to the sparkling floor. Years ago I would have looked at the place in wonder, admiring the beauty of it all. Now all I can think is how the light reflecting off the polished surfaces shrinks the shadow of my hood that much more. I step closer to Amelia, following her lead as she heads through the corridors.

Our first stop is the kitchens – I should have realized that. And, of course, compared to the prospect of food, not to mention food prepared by a royal chef or ten, everything is meaningless. I'm hungry, too, but can't bring myself to eat much. My body needs food and I know that, but with so many people around . . . I lower my mask, quickly eating a humble bowl of noodles and getting some water back into my system. I can _feel_ the cooks and servers watching me.

Finished with my meal, I lean slightly towards Amelia, hoping to catch her attention without catching her fury for interrupting her meal. "Amelia-san? You mentioned something about a library?"

The princess acts as though she hasn't heard me for a few moments, devouring several more morsels before looking at me. "Library?" She glances back at her food, as if deciding if it is safe to leave it for a moment. The answer, of course, is that it isn't safe to leave it, not with Lina and Gourry sitting at the same table. But she looks back at me with a smile. "Right, I'll take you there right now!" That is all the warning I have before she's pulling me out of my chair and back into the corridors.

I can stop her, of course. If I just sit still, there is no chance the petite girl could move me at all. But just her hand on my wrist makes me feel so light a breeze could move me along. I follow eagerly, just slow enough that she feels the need to keep a hold of me for fear I might stop walking without her guidance.

I'm just starting to wonder if she might stay with me in the library for a while, she's done it before. If I offer to go over spells with her, she'd probably jump at the chance. She seems to enjoy that part of our relationship best; she's determined to be as strong as possible and is overjoyed whenever I agree to help her train. Unfortunately, I never get the chance to ask as a robust woman rounds a corner, nearly colliding with us.

One look at the ornate dress she's wearing and I know this has to be the queen, but she can't be much older than Amelia herself. Wider by a considerable margin, but only a few centimeters taller. As soon as the two women get over the shock of nearly running into each other, Amelia squeals loudly. The queen matches the delighted sound, managing to reach an even higher octave that pierces through my sensitive ears. "Amelia-chan!" she cries in that same high voice.

"Lilia-chan!" Amelia matches her.

"I had just been told you had arrived, I was coming to meet you!"

I can feel a vein in my head start to throb. Is it really necessary for every one of her sentences to end in an exclamation mark? I'm certain Amelia wouldn't do it if the queen didn't, unfortunately . . . "We got here a few minutes ago! Oh, Lilia, I have so much to tell you!"

For the first time, the queen's eyes flick to the side, looking at me curiously. "What," she whispers before turning back to Amelia and starting again. "Who is your intriguing companion?"

The vein in my head begins to pound harder. 'What' indeed . . . "Oh! This is Zelgadis-san. We've been traveling together for a while now!"

One hand drifts up, tugging my hood just slightly lower over my eyes. If I'm lucky the girl will interpret it as a metaphorical tipping of my hat. "Pleasure to meet you."

She turns back to Amelia without even returning the pleasantry. "You must tell me all about your travels! Phil-san has told us you've been traveling for quite some time!"

The two girls begin down the hallway again, leaned close together as if they are sharing horrible secrets. "Ah, Amelia-san," I stutter out, taking just one step after them.

The princess looks back at me with a look of shock on her face. "Oh! Of course. Lilia-chan, I was showing Zelgadis to the library. That's all right, isn't it?"

Lilia looks at me again and I can see the frown hidden in her eyes. Her gaze travels up and down my form several moments longer than would be polite before turning away from both of us. "Of course! Gene? Would you show our guest to the library?"

A shadow moves away from one of the pillars in the hall. It is a fairly tall man, clearly part of the queen's personal guard. He gives a deep bow to the young woman before walking down a different hallway, not even glancing at me. I feel my fists shake, but follow without comment. This is, after all, a palace and I _am_ dealing with the queen of this province. Idly I wonder if she treated all people she saw as commoners this badly, but behind any doubts I know this was because of how I look.

The library isn't far and in just a few minutes the guard opens the door for me to enter. He stays outside, probably even returns to his guarding duty. Just as well, I don't need a watcher and I'd rather not have the company. The door has barely closed when I get the sudden sense that I'm not as alone in the vast room as I thought. I feel his presence even before the damn trickster speaks. "I was wondering when you'd get here, Zelgadis-san." Xellos floats into view in front of me, smile firmly in place. "I've already been through some of the shelves, but there's not much that will interest you."

I ignore the mazoku, turning to the case nearest me and begin looking over the titles only to have my view blocked by the sudden appearance of a red leather-bound volume. "I did find this, though." Sparing a quick glance at the trickster, I focus on the book's cover and my eyes widen. 'Rezo the Healing Priest' is printed in plain gold script. "I doubt it will be of much help," Xellos mutters as I take the tome, "but you never know."

He disappears, leaving me truly alone in the cavernous room. He's right, any book about Rezo is unlikely to have anything helpful to my particular case, but it's always fascinating to find new information on the man. For a few minutes I debate sitting down and leafing through the book, but eventually decide against it. There could easily be more interesting works on these shelves; I would only be wasting valuable time by settling so readily for this one.

Tucking the red book under one arm, I return to browsing titles. It isn't long before I realize that, while extensive, the library is filled mostly with fiction. Heroic tales of knights and sorcerers fighting off dragons and other beasts of evil. Not for me, thanks, I lived those tales – I don't need to read about them. I'd only found one other book that was even vaguely promising and I'd gone through nearly half of what was here. Feeling my hopes sink a little further, I look at the rest of the shelves. Surely it isn't all fictional? My eyes are growing increasingly heavy and I give up the search for the day. I'll look over what I _had_ found and look through the rest tomorrow.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**A / N 2: **I've decided to put this on all my Slayers fics (currently a grand total of two) because I write several different theories. Even though it doesn't matter for this fic, I want to rant. In Slayers fandom, there are several different takes on Zel's curse and on Xel's natural form. In the case of Zel, his third part is viewed as demon, mazoku, and a few other things. For this one, I'm sticking with canon and he is brow demon with no mazoku blood or powers.

Xel, on the other hand, tends to be more confusing. Some fans believe he was once human, some don't. Some think he's pure mazoku with a human-ish natural form, others opt for the 'black cone of energy'. As I said, I write several different theories, depending on my mood and the story, so my work isn't consistant and can't be used as a guide. Anyway, I already said it doesn't matter this time, so take this one as you will, I just wanted to rant about this for a couple minutes, I've put a lot of thought into it. I hope you like my insanity!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: Beside the Lake

**Genre**: Slayers - Drama

**Rating**: K/ PG – PG13

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai

**Pairings**: Xellos/Zelgadis, sort of. Failing Zelgadis/Amelia. Amelia/OC

**Spoilers**: None

**Author** **Notes**: It's so cute! It starts off in some pretty nice angst, but slowly dissolves into adorable fluff. In many Zel/Xel stories, it's always Zelgadis that brushes off the infatuated Amelia, claiming many very believable reasons why they'd never work as a couple. Actually, this is common in any story with Zel paired with someone other than the princess. Anyway, it got me thinking – what if it were the other way around? What if it was Amelia that realized it would never work between them? This is what came of that little plot bunny. I hope you all enjoy!

**A / N 2: **All right, so here's my official warning. No reviews means I will take this down and put it in my private collection. I realized it's finals week for all you college goers out there. That's the reason for my low hits, right? Sigh, I feel so unloved. In any case, this is a pretty cool story, I think. It would be a shame not to get to post the last chapter. I got a couple watchers, so I feel a little better. Still, a review or two would be nice. Anyway, enjoy the story and I'll hopefully see you again Friday.

-o-o-o-o-o-

It's already late morning when I wake up and I growl at the window. I usually wake up early, in more than enough time to have a brief breakfast before the others wander down. Then again it had been a necessity if I had wanted to get any food, and that clearly wasn't a problem here, and yesterday had been quite a trial for me. With a sigh I lever off the floor – the bed is too soft and fragile to support my weight – and stalk to the door.

Despite the later hour, Gourry and Amelia are both in the kitchens when I stumble my way through the door. I briefly wonder if they'd overslept as well and were still here from breakfast, or if they've returned for a morning snack. Gourry's eating almost like a normal person, so I can guess this is his second meal of the day.

As I move towards the table, Amelia beams at me, gesturing for me to sit beside her. I take the chair and slowly look over the food on the table. Almost immediately, Amelia is speaking, telling about her afternoon with the queen. I listen to the tempo of her speech, gleaming a good deal of information without actually listening to the words. Amelia's tone changes and I focus briefly on her words as I pull some toast towards my plate.

". . . told me about a ball she's throwing tonight. I think it would be great fun to go, but I have no escort and it's not really proper to go by myself." The princess pauses, deliberately catching my eye before looking away quickly. "I was sort of hoping that you might . . ."

She lets the question hang and it dances in my head for a moment. How wonderful it could be to go spinning around a room with Amelia in a waltz. I haven't been to a formal function since . . . well, ever, really. Before I'd been changed, I'd been too young and too unconnected and after . . . My brow creases, the image of the two of us dancing alone in a room suddenly shifts, dozens of people watching us in horror. I try to banish the image from my mind. "I don't really dance, Amelia-chan."

The princess looks at me again and I curse her expressive features. She looks absolutely stricken and it stabs at me. "Oh, I see. Well-"

Curse those emotive eyes! "I suppose I can be your escort, though, if that's what you need." Her eyes light up, gleaming at me, and they suddenly don't seem so bad.

"Oh Zel, you'll see, it'll be wonderful! . ." I let my mind wander, listening to her pitch again without hearing the words. The thought of all those eyes on us still makes my blood like ice and steals away my appetite, but the bright smile of the girl beside me makes up for that somewhat. Being there with her may make it tolerable.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"What are you doing?"

The voice startles me and I blink quickly to focus my vision. I'd been staring at the shelf of books in front of me for several minutes, but with another quick glance I realize I hadn't actually seen even one of the titles. My mind had wandered again, badly, but when I focus on that, I can't recall what I had been thinking about.

"Excuse me?"

The voice comes again, sounding annoyed and condescending. It's Queen Lilia. Slowly I become aware that I've been leaning rather heavily against another of the bookcases. I summon my energy and straighten, turning to look at the queen. She is quite obviously avoiding looking at me, her nose held slightly in the air. "Good afternoon," I manage to grind out through clenched teeth. She acts as if she hadn't heard.

"You like books?" She's focused on the few books I had gathered on one small reading table. I don't give an answer, but it doesn't seem to bother her in the slightest. "I suppose I'm not surprised. I fell in love with reading when I was a little girl and wasn't allowed to play outside. Outcasts love to read, I suppose."

She's royalty, I remind myself firmly. We're only here by her grace and the last thing I want is to start an inter-kingdom incident. Amelia would be blamed and I couldn't stand something like that. I only have to repeat that twice to keep from casting a spell at the arrogant woman in front of me as she sneers at her own novels.

She pauses without warning, lifting one of the books to look at it more clearly. "Where did this come from?"

Confused, I move forward to see past her vast shoulders at the book. "What do you mean?" She's examining the red book about Rezo with a frown.

She looks up at me and edges back a half step. "This is my library, I know every book in here. Most of them I've read more than once. This one isn't mine; where'd you find it?"

I try not to show how shocked I am, but her words send my mind reeling. Xellos had literally handed me this book, but if it hadn't come from here . . . I reach out to take the tome from her and the queen flinches. She quickly takes a larger step back, dropping the book back on the table. Slowly my arm falls back to my side, no longer interested in claiming the prize.

Lilia looks away quickly, putting one hand to her lips in embarrassment. When she looks back at me, she actually meets my eyes and I realize her own eyes look guilty. I let my glare fade slightly; no sense in punishing her for a perfectly natural reaction. The queen turns back to the other books on the table; it's easier to talk to me without looking at my face, apparently. "Amelia-chan was telling me you'd invited her to the ball tonight."

I squash the first response that comes to mind, studiously remaining pleasant to the woman. "As I understand, she needs an escort to attend."

"Ah, so you don't really want to come?"

"I don't usually attend parties," I bite out, ignoring the hope I hear in her question.

"Well, perhaps something will come up that will please everyone." She glances at me and she is smiling softly. Briefly I feel bad for hating her, she's not doing anything different than hundreds of people I've met in the past. I suppose I had just expected one of Amelia's friends to be as kind and understanding as the young princess was.

But just because I feel bad doesn't mean I don't hate her. As I stalk out of the room, red bound book clutched to my chest, I can't help but picture her horrified face moments before my fireball hits her. I wouldn't do such a thing, not to someone so close to Amelia, but it's a nice picture. I'm even smiling, ever so slightly, when Amelia comes bounding down the hallway. She skids to a halt, but can't stop before colliding solidly with me. Images of the antagonizing queen fade from my mind and I reach out to steady the younger girl.

Amelia regains her balance almost instantly, cradling one wrist in the opposite hand. "Ow. Zel, I was just coming to find you." She smiles up at me despite the injury and quickly casts a recovery spell. "I, uh, needed to ask if you, you know, really wanted to come to the party."

I blink for a moment before frowning, Lilia's words coming back to me. "Why," I ask carefully, trying to draw out the reason before committing to an answer.

"Well, Lilia-chan mentioned a young noble was coming to the party. He arrived not long ago, but apparently _his_ escort had to stay home sick." She blinks up at me innocently and I can feel a cloud gathering over my head.

It was different for this man, I knew. It's a troublesome double standard, left over from decades ago. Women generally needed escorts or they would be thought of as unreputable, at least at Amelia's age. Men were simply looked on as unlucky not to have a date. I can't shake the feeling that this had all been planned, however. I wouldn't put it past the obnoxious queen to have sent the young man's escort home. Yet it can't be denied I would be happier not putting myself in the middle of so many strangers. "Go with him," I mutter, gripping the book tighter. "You'll enjoy the night much more with him."

"Are you sure?" Curse her empathetic nature. She really does care, she doesn't want to risk hurting me.

I could still go with her and gain my night somewhat alone with her. Or I could retreat with my book and use it to distract myself all evening. "Go with him," I repeat, brushing past the girl and fleeing from the palace entirely.

I find myself in the palace grounds within minutes. The lay of the land is beautiful. The front of the palace is bordered by various protective measures complete with a portcullis, protecting the nerve center of this kingdom. Beyond these defenses, the grounds are laid out to make maximum use of the limited space, with two gorgeous gardens on either side of the stone building itself. But it is behind the palace that has captivated me. There is a short expanse of cultivated grass that leads down to a large manmade lake. The grass borders one side, which rises up in a steep cliff, clearly carved to achieve the sharp angles and lined sparsely with green trees.

I wander the cliff, leafing through the book quietly, still puzzling over the mazoku's motivations for giving it to me. It was a setup, it had to be. He's up to something and I can't shake the sense that I'm walking right into whatever trap he has planned. There's nothing to be done about it except read, so that's what I do. I flip idly through the pages, scanning the book's contents and marking sections to return to later. I want to at least browse what the whole book holds before reading it cover to cover.

"Find anything interesting yet, Zel-chan?"

Completely against my will, I shudder at the trickster's voice. As quickly as I can, I pluck another leaf from a nearby branch and mark my page before shutting the book with a snap and turning to face the purple haired menace. He's much closer than I'm comfortable with and takes several steps closer, driving me towards the edge of the cliff as I retreat. "Is there something you wanted?" I question with as much hostility as I can muster.

"It's beautiful, don't you think?"

I have to blink, taken back by the sudden question. Though he has a very valid point. I hate to admit it, but just the mention of the beauty makes me turn back to look at the setting sun. I say nothing and after a moment, Xellos speaks again, breaking the calm that surrounds me even in his presence.

"Still so hot though, even this late in the evening. Doesn't the water just look blissful?"

My eyes slip down from the stained sky, taking in the water I'd been trying to avoid looking at. "Yes," I whisper, the word out of my mouth before I can stop it. My eyes fall shut for a moment and I can hear the faintest noise from the creature beside me. I can't believe him. He managed to surprise something like that out of me and he has the nerve to laugh at me! Furious, I spin on the creature again, only to find him inches away. I jerk back in surprise, backing up to the edge of the cliff.

Damn monster just keeps smiling at me.

"Don't do that," I growl, banishing the last of the embarrassment my confession brought on. I'm no fool, I know he noticed it, but anger is an easy mask to hide behind.

He just keeps smiling. "A swim would probably do you a great deal of good, actually. So why are you up here instead, nose buried in a book, Zel-chan?"

I don't give him the satisfaction of anything more than my continued glare. I shift to the side, content with just walking away from him rather than rising to his bait. I put my foot down on what looks like solid ground, but suddenly my escape plans fade from thought. The edge of the cliff crumbles, leaving me in freefall as my balance is disturbed. My eyes fly open and there is no way of hiding my shock as my fall is stopped suddenly by a pair of strong hands on my shoulders.

And the damn monster is _still_ smiling at me! For a long moment, I still can't hide the shock that is plain on my face, waiting for him to do something. To say something, make some threat, or trick, pull me back onto solid ground; but he just holds me there, my feet braced on the cliff face and his arms the only thing keeping me there. I struggle to compose myself until I'm glaring at the creature holding me. All I want to do is wipe that smug grin off his stupid face. "What are you doing!"

"When I said you looked like you could use a swim, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind, Zelgadis-san," he says with a slight laugh, but still made no move.

"Whatever you're hoping to gain here, you can forget it. It's a ten-foot drop into a crystal clear pond, you can't scare me with that. Let go of me, fruitcake."

If anything, his smile only grows. "So you can hit the water and sink the extra thirty of so feet to the bottom? There are better ways to cool down, you know."

I want to scream at him, but the words die on my lips as I'm suddenly moving. He pulls me back up with such speed it leaves my head spinning. By the time the world holds still long enough that I can get my bearings, he's gone. I climb to my feet with a growl, cursing everything about that creature and this place. I pat the dust off my pants and cloak, only then noticing what else was gone. That bastard took the book with him.

-o-o-o-o-o-

I wake up late again the next morning, this time with a throbbing headache. Resisting the urge to roll over on the floor and fall back asleep, I climb to my feet as gingerly as possible. The migraine is annoying, and completely unaffected by my recovery spell; it has to be a lingering side affect of the heat. Probably made worse by the stress of yesterday; just one more thing I can blame on that accursed mazoku priest.

When I reach the kitchens, it's empty except for one person. Even the chefs have vanished, only Amelia waiting for me. Of course, she isn't actually waiting for me, but it's a nice thought. And easily the person I most prefer to spend breakfast with. The princess has one elbow on the table, resting her head on her upturned palm in such a way that she is nearly parallel to the solid wood. A dreamy sort of smile is frozen on her face and she's staring at her empty plate in a trance. My head pounds harder. "Good morning, Amelia."

She looks up as if startled by my voice. Then she smiles warmly at me, "Good morning, Zelgadis-san." Her voice is wistful, the very tone carrying her up to the clouds and it's obvious she's still caught in whatever daydream has entranced her. "You missed a wonderful party. I think you would have enjoyed it, Zelgadis-san. Oh I can't wait for you to meet Zachary-san."

"Zachary?" I manage to choke out. It has to be the noble that escorted her. I really don't like the way this is going.

"Oh, he's such a gentleman! You'd like him, I know you would. He's no swordfighter, but he says he's done fencing all his life and he's starting to learn magic." I can see a faint blush spread across her cheeks as she refocuses on her plate. "Zel, can I ask you something?"

I don't sit down, waiting for her to continue. With a sigh she looks up at me again. "Zachary asked me on a date. He's going to pick me up any minute. I wanted to know what you thought of him."

I can't imagine what my face must look like. It feels like such an effort just to breathe, but she's not even looking at me, she's lost again in her daydream. "Amelia, I-"

"You must be Zelgadis-san!" I turn at the voice and feel the storm cloud gathering over my head again. It seems even harder to breathe as I look at the young man. He is a little short, but probably has another growth spurt before his body is done growing. His hair was short, all but floating on top of his slender face and his eyes are a clear crystal green. He's handsome; I can see why Amelia is so smitten after just one night. "Amelia told me about you yesterday."

"I didn't say that much, just that you were a really good sorcerer and a great fighter."

"She talks about you like you're a great hero! I would love to see a few spells sometime." I stare at the boy, trying to think of some reason to hate him. He's looking me right in the face, smiling. If he looked at me like the queen, it would have been simple, but he doesn't show the faintest sign of fear or disgust. Such a look is so rare . . .

Zachary reaches out one hand, taking Amelia's when she offers it and the two begin to pull away from me. Amelia hesitates though, looking back at me with hopeful eyes. I nod once and quickly turn my back on her. There's a pause and then the sound of retreating footsteps. I sink into a chair and cradle my head in my arms, trying to breathe in time with the pounding of my skull, hoping that would lessen the pain.

-o-o-o-o-o-


	3. Chapter 3

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: Beside the Lake

**Genre**: Slayers - Drama

**Rating**: K/ PG – PG13

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai

**Pairings**: Xellos/Zelgadis, sort of. Failing Zelgadis/Amelia. Amelia/OC

**Spoilers**: None

**Author** **Notes**: It's so cute! It starts off in some pretty nice angst, but slowly dissolves into adorable fluff. In many Zel/Xel stories, it's always Zelgadis that brushes off the infatuated Amelia, claiming many very believable reasons why they'd never work as a couple. Actually, this is common in any story with Zel paired with someone other than the princess. Anyway, it got me thinking – what if it were the other way around? What if it was Amelia that realized it would never work between them? This is what came of that little plot bunny. I hope you all enjoy!

**A / N 2:** All right, I feel a little more loved now. I got a couple reviews, though I'd still like more. From what I did get, though, I feel somewhat accomplished! It seems my foreshadowing is effective without being overbearing. I'm impressed with RHK, he's awefully clever. And Puppet of Dreams person - thanks! Yay, Yami no Kaiba put me in her favs, now I do feel loved. Anyway, this is the last chapter and everything should come to light. I hope you enjoy.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Zelgadis?"

I blink, opening my eyes at Lina's unusually gentle voice. Slowly the grass comes into focus in front of me and I blink several more times, trying to clear my head.

"Zelgadis?" Lina asks again and I look up, focusing on her face. "What are you doing out here?"

What _am_ I doing out here? I remember coming back to the lake after breakfast in a desperate attempt to escape the confines of the castle. I look back down at the grass, trying to remember more than that, but my mind stutters to a halt. In front of me is the book about Rezo. It's open to a page near the end, marked by a leaf I know I didn't put there. "I must have fallen asleep," I mutter, remembering that Lina is standing over me.

When I look up at her again, she's frowning. "Listen, Zel, are you all right? You've been acting kind of funny since we got here."

"I'm fine," I mutter, my eyes falling back to the book. "Just tired. It's just the heat."

She smiles slightly, but the concern doesn't leave her eyes. "Are you sure? Gourry and I are going to check out the guilds in town. I know that was Amelia's big selling point for you."

"No, that's all right. I'd rather stay here." She looks surprised, but nods slowly. After another moment, she turns to leave and I'm alone again beside the lake.

It's very tempting to simply pick up the book and read, but in the smothering heat there is another temptation that calls to me even stronger. Slowly I undress, folding each article of clothing as I strip down to my underwear before striding into the shallows of the lake. Like the rest of the area, this has been expertly carved, honed by skilled craftsmen to create a safe area for little ones to play. The shallows go out a good fifteen feet before suddenly dropping off in another steep cliff, plunging to join the depths of the rest of the water. At its deepest, the water comes up just above my waist.

With a sigh, I bend my knees and sink into the cool liquid, imagining I'm back home in the pond I played in as a child. I used to love swimming, but since the spell, I hadn't been able to. The memory brings on thoughts I don't wish to recall and after a moment more I stand to return to shore and lose myself properly in my research. I turn, only to freeze in place, staring at one of the last people I want to see just now. Xellos is only a few feet away, hands clasped behind his back and leaning slightly towards me, smile fixed in place. My shock dissolves almost immediately as I growl at the monster; he's managed to get me with my back to a cliff again. "What do you want?"

"Merely admiring the scenery, Zel-chan!" I feel my cheeks heat, but firmly ignore it. Xellos takes a step towards me, reaching for my chest at the same time. I refuse to play his game, I won't give him the pleasure of seeing me flinch. His smile twitches, but I can't tell if it shrinks or grows and that in itself annoys me. Another step brings him shoulder to shoulder with me, his fingers still in place, and he drops his voice to a whisper. "Did you value my opinion so much, Zelgadis? Though if you're going to cool off, you really should take a proper dip."

Sudden force on my chest makes me stiffen, but it's too late to pull away or counter the move at all. I always seem to forget how disturbingly strong Xellos actually is; his push sends me tumbling over the edge of the underwater cliff. I gasp, managing to get a full breath of air before I slip under the water. Quickly my mind starts sorting out the spell that will bring me back to the surface. I start to mumble the first line when I lose the feeling of falling and pause. I lose a good deal of air gasping in surprise as I achieve buoyancy, floating only a few feet below the surface.

I break the surface in only a few strokes and begin slowly treading the water to stay afloat. Beside me Xellos is doing the same, grinning widely and watching me with slit eyes. I want to glare at him, but my mind is in a shambles; all I can stutter out is a feeble, "What did you do?"

"Then you don't appreciate the gift?" He asks innocently and without warning the weight returns to my body. I don't have time to draw breath this time, but mere seconds later the mazoku's hand around my arm hauls my head back above water. He actually chuckles and after a moment to get my panic under control, I realize my hands are locked in his cloak, clinging to him like a life preserver. "Not so unappreciated after all, I see," he mutters, touching his fingers to my chest again.

This time I can feel the spell seep into my body and as the water takes up my weight again, I force my fingers to release their hold. For a long moment we stare at each other and I can imagine what he must be waiting for. More than likely he'll wait for me to feel safe before removing the spell again, I remind myself as the joy threatens to overtake me, but the feeling still creeps up my spine.

And then suddenly I don't care. I throw my arms above my head, using the force to push me beneath the water again and marveling when my descent slows and stops after only a few feet. Dimly I'm aware of grinning like a loon, but I don't care about that either. I twist on myself, spinning in the clear depths, and start stroking towards the center of the lake. Xellos stays near me, but even that can't dampen my mood. He twists and turns, streaking around me like a playful dolphin and for a long minute I have to fight off the urge to get into a splash fight with him. It seems so childish, but all I care about for a long time is acting like a child.

By the time I stop swimming, my limbs are heavy from the exercise and I make my way back to the shallows. Still lost in the feeling, though, I turn onto my back and simply float there, staring up at the sky. I know Xellos is still nearby and slowly that thought penetrates my mind properly. I shift so that I'm standing on my own feet and look around for the priest, finding him in the form of two legs sticking out of the water as he does a handstand. The sight makes me frown and I move towards shore, finally having enough of this game.

Normally I would let the sun dry what little water didn't simply run off my skin, but now I dress quickly, ignoring the pull of the fabric as it gets wet. As I tug my shirt back on over my wire hair, I turn back to look at Xellos again. He's striding out of the water towards me, fully clothed and completely dry. His staff is absent and for the first time I realize I haven't seen him with it since we got to the city. That strikes me as odd and, somehow, more disturbing than anything else. His eyes are closed again as he smiles at me and asks in that oh-so-innocent tone, "Did you enjoy your swim?"

Despite my growing unease, I answer the question with an honest yes. Then I stoop, picking up the book and holding it between us. "Where did you find this, Xellos?"

"I told you; the library!"

I take a moment to think about that. He actually hadn't told me anything except that he found it before and now I recognize the vagueness of his statement. "But not _this_ library," I counter, trying to coax out more information. He just smiles, bowing his head briefly as if complimenting me for figuring that part out. I growl low in my throat. "Why did you give it to me?"

"Why do I do anything I do for you?"

"How am I supposed to know, you only ever say 'it's a secret' and disappear!"

He bows his head again. "Then you have your answer, don't you?" And just like that he's gone. I'm aware of my head starting to throb again and rub gently at one stone temple. I walked right into that one, I should have known better. At least he left the book this time.

-o-o-o-o-o-

I spent several hours at the lake, I realize as I make my way towards the kitchens to grab some dinner. But it had been worth it, even if it had been Xellos that kept me company. Looking back, it disturbs me a great deal, but at the time it had been pleasant. Which only makes it more disturbing now, of course.

I can hear voices as I reach the doorway to the kitchens and I stop, leaning against the frame to listen for a moment. If the conversation is private, I don't want to intrude. Amelia has her back to the door and is talking excitedly to Lilia across the small table they're at. They're talking about the previous day's festivities; not private, but maybe I will avoid it regardless.

"And what about Zach? Isn't he dreamy, I just knew he'd be perfect for you!" Lilia chirps merrily and I hesitate another moment, curiosity getting the better of me.

Amelia gives another dreamy sigh before saying anything. "He's wonderful. He took me out on the town this afternoon, too, and bought me this bracelet. He's such a gentleman!"

The queen's eyes twitch towards me and her smile grows. I feel my stomach knot, suddenly aware that I am the victim of her teasing here. "He told me he's quite taken with you! Are you going to go for it?" Amelia makes a noncommittal noise and Lilia leans in conspiratorially. "Or do you have someone else you're interested in? What about that stone fellow?"

"Zelgadis-san?" Amelia hesitates and I can picture her eyes so clearly it makes my chest ache. "I like Zelgadis a lot, and you couldn't ask for a better friend. But, he's just . . ." The solemn tone affects Lilia instantly and she looks back up at me. All the playfulness has drained out of her face and she looks apologetic; she hadn't meant this to happen, no matter what she felt about me.

Amelia has her head bowed, now speaking to the table quietly. "I love Zelgadis like a brother and I wish there could be more to it than that. He's got such a good heart and I want to be there to help him realize it. But I just can't feel that way about someone so single-minded. He's done unthinkable things just to find his cure, sometimes it scares me what he's capable of."

"He likes you, you know," Lilia whispers, trying to undo the damage she's begun.

"It would be easier if he didn't," is Amelia's reply.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I turn away from the two royals, not even remotely hungry anymore. I stop short when I open my eyes again, surprised to find Zachary blocking my path. He still meets my eyes evenly, but now I can see pity in his gaze. "I'm sorry," he whispers as he draws even with me and stops. "She does love you on some level, it's obvious in the way she talks. I know she never would have wanted to hurt you." I give him no answer as I brush past, but his next words stop me again. "Is she right?" I look at him questioningly and he clarifies, never dropping his gaze. "Would you do anything to be human again? Would you . . ."

He really is perfect for her, he can't even say the word 'kill' in casual conversation, another shining soldier of justice. "I have done many things in the past in my search. If it meant a cure, I would not hesitate to do any of them again."

Finally his eyes fall away from mine. "Then the better man won. I'm sorry." He turns, walking into the kitchens and leaving me alone in the hall.

My head feels like it's splitting in two. That's the final insult; on top of my heart breaking, I'm physically falling apart, too. I manage a few steps down the hallway, but suddenly the world lurches violently under my feet. My balance shatters and I pitch forward towards the ground.

Before I know what's happening, two arms are around me, halting my fall without effort. The pain in my head has only increased, but somewhere through the fog I realize there's only one person that can do that without being felled by my weight. Instinct makes me struggle as Xellos slowly turns me around in his arms, but even I can see my efforts have no strength. Only then do I start to realize something is wrong and far more serious than a little headache.

Xellos frees one hand, batting away my flailing arms, and rests his hand against my forehead. "It's all right, Zelgadis. You'll be fine," he whispers with a frown. I stare at his lips, entranced by the expression as the image slowly fades until all I can see is black.

-o-o-o-o-o-

When I wake up, I'm staring at an ornate ceiling in a fairly small room. Small meaning larger than many poorer families' whole houses, but that's beside the point. This is the room I was staying in; I'm on the bed. As soon as I realize this, I try to remember _how_ I'd gotten on the bed. I can remember listening to Amelia and then running into Zachary. I remember Xellos, his lips turned down in a strange little frown and then . . . nothing. Ugh, the idiot must have brought me here, I think, raising one hand to rub my face. The small motion makes the bed creak ominously and I remember just how fragile it had looked. I should really get up before something bad happens.

"Zelgadis-san?" Amelia's voice accompanies a soft knock at the door and I freeze. I do my best to hold completely still, not wanting the bed to collapse while the princess is in the room. She pushes the door open and pokes her head in, glancing immediately at me. "Oh, you're awake. Xellos said you weren't feeling well."

Xellos had . . ? What was the fruitcake up to? Amelia strides over to my side, resting her palm against my cheek. The gesture calls up a memory of Xellos doing the same thing, but he'd checked my forehead, heedless of the sharp wire hair, his gloves still in place. I try to shake the memory aside, focusing on Amelia again.

"I think you may have a fever. Rest here, I'll have the chefs make you something to eat."

She flits back out the door as I lay there, thinking about what she said. It made some twisted sense; the hard ride into town coupled with the heat could easily exhaust a person. And now that I thought about it, I hadn't been taking my meals regularly, I'd been so uncomfortable with everything since arriving here. It explained why the recovery spell hadn't worked, too, since the headache hadn't technically been an injury but a symptom. With a sigh I carefully shift to the edge of the bed. Levering myself onto my feet is more difficult than it should be and the fever theory gains more evidence in the form of my horrid balance. There's a thundering crack as I finally stand, but the bed remains standing.

I put thought into each step as I move to the window. The sun is hidden beyond the horizon, but its remnants still color the sky. The sun sets so late in the evening this time of year, it's quickly approaching bedtime for any sensible person. I glance at the small desk beside the window, honestly surprised to see the red leather book sitting there. I should sleep and try to recover, but I can't do that until I eat properly and there's nothing that says I can't read while I rest, right?

By the time Amelia returns with a chef in tow, I'm well into the tome. I am beginning to understand that it hadn't been written by a human and this just calls up more questions about it and Xellos and the mazoku's motivations in all of this. With a sigh I set the book and the mysteries aside, eager for the large bowl of soup the server sets in front of me on the desk. Amelia lingers as he leaves and I find myself watching her in the window's reflection. She looks worried, but the look fades when I spoon some broth into my mouth.

"No moping around up here for days, all right, Zelgadis-san? You let someone know if you don't start feeling better."

The strange request/order threatens to drag a smile out of me. Rather than give in to the temptation, I look closely at the girl's reflection. "Amelia, what do you think of me?" I ask before I can think better of it.

For a moment she seems startled into silence, but I wait for her response. Her eyes drop. "I think you're strong and brave and kind. I value your opinion more than anyone else's, Zelgadis-san, and I wish you would be happy more often. I think you're a good man and a good friend."

I scoff into the soup, just catching her surprised look before she hides it behind indignance. "No you don't." I mutter and turn to face her properly. "You think I'm a monster."

"No! How could I think that when it's not true!" She looks like she honestly believes those words and I turn around again. Her reflection looks as if it's going to cry now and I can hear her voice shake when she speaks again. "You're a good man, Zelgadis. You'll realize that someday and I only hope you don't do something before then that you'll regret forever after." When I give no response, she crumbles, fleeing from the room and my silence.

A good man. I nearly laugh again, but I'm afraid if I do I won't be able to stop. Instead I pull the book closer, opening to where I left off and continuing my study as I eat.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Lilia was surprisingly sympathetic when I made my way to the kitchens for breakfast. She still wouldn't look at me, but at least she was _treating_ me like more than some caught creature to be played with. Everyone was very kind, Lina personally offering to blast Xellos if he bothered me before I'd recovered properly. It was good to be reassured in their friendship, but I took my breakfast out to the lake all the same.

Now that I'm aware of being ill, it won't take long to build my strength back up. I will be sure to take care of my body and eat properly, even when I'm not particularly hungry, like now. That combined with a day or two of rest should completely heal my body. My mind is proving to be another matter, growing consistently worse the further I read into the book about Rezo.

It had been written by mazoku.

Which mazoku, I'm not rightly certain, but the author occasionally talks about Rezo in terms only a member of the monster race would understand. He is even referred to as 'one of the pieces' more than once, though old Ruby Eye never comes up by name. It's a fascinating new angle on the man I had once called grandfather. The mazoku detailed things about his life and his actions I would never find in a human text. Things a human wouldn't even think to notice, like the fact that his great healing powers worked on creatures of darkness as well as on those of light, or that he wore two different sized shoes. Obviously some of these facts are tantalizing new leads while others were merely pointless observation, but it is their mere presence that helps lift my dark mood.

I checked the page that had been marked by Xellos before I read anything else today. That was where I got the information about Rezo's shoes. Apparently Xellos has a short limit to his helpfulness.

"Maybe I just thought that information would be most helpful to you!" At the sound of the trickster's voice, I snap the book shut. I don't care what he says, he can read my mind, there is no way he can read things like _that_ off my face. I glare up at him, but there is no change in his sunny grin. "And are we feeling any better this morning, Zel-chan?"

I stand slowly, not wanting to have the trickster towering over me like he was. "Why are you here, Xellos?"

"I can't show concern for a poor sick friend?" I thoroughly strangle the urge to pummel him. I then beat down the urge to strangle him.

"Why are you helping me? You've been doing everything in your power to keep me safe these last few days while being just annoying enough that I still want to kill you." His smile grows and I receive that little head bow again. "Assuming that doing both at once is more troublesome than it is amusing, I just want to know why."

"Apparently, Zelgadis-san, you are worth protecting." For a few moments he is quiet, letting me puzzle that one out. Then he holds one finger up beside his head as if a thought had just occurred to him. "You don't really think I was doing _everything_ in my power, do you? Because if that were the case I think I would feel insulted."

I sigh, scrubbing at my eyes. He's pretending to pout now and the look is somehow _more_ infuriating than his usual grin. All right, enough of this derailed line of questioning, time to move on to other matters. "This book," I begin, holding the mentioned tome between our two chests. "This was written by a mazoku, wasn't it?"

"Very astute, Zel-chan. Ever the scholar, I knew you'd figure it out once you sat down and actually read the thing."

"That's why you took it, isn't it?"

"And it worked wonderfully! As soon as it was gone, all you could think about was that you'd never get to read it again. When I gave it back, you dove right in!"

I really, really hate to admit it, but he has a point. "Thank you."

For a long moment, he says nothing. His smile fades and he opens his eyes, giving me a glimpse of the power he usually hides from sight. As the silence stretches, I realize again that his staff is still missing and I wonder again why that bothers me. "That's the first time you've ever said that to me."

I blink at the statement, but my response dies as I realize he's probably right. Suddenly I know why the staff's absence is bothering me. It's his weapon and the fact that he's appearing without it is a sign he isn't prepared for a fight. It's less obvious with Xellos because his whole body is a weapon, of course, but the symbolism is still the same. The thought of the priest as something other than an enemy is difficult to acclimate to. Though if I'm honest about it, the idea isn't particularly unpleasant. The silence is stretching again and with Xellos showing no signs of breaking it, I feel I must say something. "Who wrote this?" I ask, hefting the book again.

A mock frown stretches across Xellos' lips and he tilts his head to the side. "Are you really so eager to be rid of my presence, Zel-chan?"

I feel myself grin back at him, effortlessly picking up the back and forth of the teasing. "You only have to leave if you tell me it's a secret." This is familiar, too, the banter practically a reflex. When did I start expecting the mazoku's presence? When did I stop minding so much?

"Well, then I won't say it. Surely there's something else a lovesick chimera would rather talk about. Maybe the slow painful death of the rival suitor?"

Whether he's teasing or truly sympathetic, the barb about Amelia hurts and I drop my head slightly. "Maybe," I mutter, fighting my common sense to get it out. "Maybe we could just go for another swim?"

Almost before I finish speaking, he's reaching for me again, his fingers spreading over my chest. I feel it as whatever spell he's come up with washes through my body and suddenly the pull of the water is much stronger. Grinning again, I turn and toss the book at the base of a tree far from the water's edge and throw my cloak and gloves after it. Then, without proper warning, I spin back around, barreling into the startled priest. We're in the water in seconds, wrestling through the ripples that aspire to be waves. After a few seconds we break apart, getting our heads back above water, spluttering, coughing and laughing. Both of us, laughing. Well, Amelia did say she wished I were happy more often.

So much has changed and it's going to take me quite a while to get things straight. Amelia will still hurt for some time, I know, and the thought of Xellos like this will probably give me more than one nightmare. I can deal with all of that later. Right now the desire to be a kid is too great. It's too hot and the water feels too good to be doing anything other than swimming with a friend.

-o-o-o- owari -o-o-o-


End file.
